A long line of people waiting to buy tags snakes out of the Jefferson County Courthouse last year. This line was long, in part, due to the suspension of online tag purchasing because of the new Alabama immigration law. Long lines are the new normal now because of cuts in Jefferson County's budget. (The Birmingham News/Tamika Moore)

Finally, there's some good news for Jefferson County residents who need to get car tags -- especially for those who buy new cars from car dealerships in the county.

They won't have to stand in hours-long lines at the County Courthouse.

Under an agreement worked out between county officials and new-car dealerships in the county and announced last week, the dealerships will be able to get car tags for their new-car customers. The customer can fill out the tag forms at the dealership, and the dealership will take the documents to the revenue department at the courthouse and buy the tags.

Employees from the dealerships won't have to stand in line, either. The county will designate a revenue department worker to assist the dealerships, which can drop off the documents one week and pick up the car tags and registrations the next week.

This arrangement helps everyone. It aids new-car buyers, of course, by not subjecting them to the long lines at the courthouse. It aids the dealerships by removing an obstacle that discourages car buyers, possibly boosting new car purchases. And it aids county workers in the revenue department who will face fewer customers in the car-tag line.

"The dealers are very well organized. They have all the information together," said Revenue Director Travis Hulsey. "It makes it easy for them to drop it off, and it's easier for us to process because we know all the documents are in place."

The tag arrangement is another product of the continuing meetings between county officials, legislators and business leaders who have been discussing ways to rescue Jefferson County from its grave financial crisis brought on by the loss of the county's occupational tax and the $66 million a year it brought in.

Earlier this month, officials announced a proposed deal between Jefferson County Sheriff Mike Hale and the Birmingham Police Department in which the county would house Birmingham inmates at the vacant county jail in Bessemer. The sheriff hasn't been able to afford to staff the jail because of budget cuts. The deal would allow the Bessemer jail to open and ease overcrowding at the main county jail in Birmingham, and enable the city to avoid the cost of building a new city jail.

Last week's announcement, however, won't end the long lines at the courthouses. County Commission President David Carrington estimates the tag arrangement could reduce the number of people in line by 20 to 25 percent.

Unfortunately, people buying tags for used cars won't be able to get tags through the dealerships. Neither will buyers of new cars who purchase their vehicles outside Jefferson County. They still will have to endure long lines.

Plus, a large number of people in the courthouse lines are renewing their car tags, not getting tags for just-acquired vehicles. That won't change unless they renew online or by mail.

Still, they will benefit some by having fewer people in line ahead of them.

County officials should continue to look for ways to better serve tag buyers. Even though the process for getting tags for used cars is more complicated than that for new car tags, the county and dealerships should try to work out arrangements in which those tag purchases won't require a visit by the car buyer to the courthouse.

Of course, the best solution is for the Jefferson County legislative delegation to help end the county's financial crisis by authorizing a new occupational tax to replace the one struck down by the courts. That would mean shorter lines for everyone.